Newly ordained Wake Forest starting quarterback Robby Ashford begins the final leg of his college journey on Friday. The Demon Deacons host Kennesaw State in the season opener, just days after Ashford was named the starting quarterback. And the person he most wants to share that moment with won’t witness the moment. Ashford has had family inspiration for years, but now there is a void.
Wake Forest QB Robby Ashford Looking for Some Family Inspiration
The Winding Journey
Ashford is at his fourth school in six years. The journey began at Oregon, where he did not play for two years. He transferred to Auburn. It was a bumpy two-year ride there. In year one, he started nine games and played in all 12, throwing seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. His head coach, Bryan Harsin, was fired eight games into the season, and assistant coach Carnell Williams finished the season on an interim basis.
Hugh Freeze became the head coach in 2023, Ashford’s second year there. The quarterback attempted only 27 passes all season, completing 14 of them, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Deciding he needed a fresh start, he transferred to South Carolina for the 2024 season. But he was the backup to rising star LaNorris Sellers. He got one start when Sellers was injured, and appeared in eight games, completing 23 of 32 passes for 324 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
But with Sellers coming back for another year, Ashford saw a need for the good of his future, to not play in anyone’s shadow. Enter the opportunity at Wake Forest.
Wake Forest
It has not always been the smoothest of transitions. He has been in a quarterback competition with sophomore Deshawn Purdy, a transfer from Charlotte. And Ashford has shown some moments of upside, including his running ability. He has 1,154 rushing yards in his three seasons of action.
But head coach Jake Dickert was waiting for Ashford to take command of the team, of the huddle, and of the sidelines. Apparently, that happened over the last six days. Built in the dark, as Dickert likes to use the team’s motto, because whatever the transformation was, it remains a secret.
An Unimaginable Loss
But through the journey, from Eugene to Winston-Salem, and all points in between, the native of Hoover, Alabama, had a guiding force: the man for whom he is named, his father Robert Ashford. But the senior Ashford will not see the final steps in his son’s college journey. He died suddenly and unexpectedly in April. The details of Robert’s passing are not widely known publicly, and the younger Ashford clearly prefers it that way.
But the void is apparent. He was told by the coaching staff in the team facilities with a scrimmage scheduled for the next day. “Coach Dickert and all of them wanted me to go home. They wanted me to go back to Alabama,” Ashford said Tuesday after practice. He said he conferred with his grandmother. “I was sitting there debating on if to go home or not. And she was like, ‘Oh no. You’re scrimmaging, Baby. This is what your dad wants you to do.’”
He referred to his new teammates as a group of brothers who helped him get through the following days and weeks. Ashford also credited quarterbacks coach Dan Enos, offensive coordinator Rob Ezell, and Dickert. He said they all checked in on him throughout the process. “After I did scrimmage, I felt a lot better,” Ashford said.
It got difficult again for him after Spring camp. While the team had workouts together, there were no full team activities. He said it left a void at a challenging time. “We’d have a break, and I was just sad and wanted to be back with the guys,” he said of that downtime. Fall camp brought a new energy and sense of family for him.
Finding His Voice
This was the first time in Spring or Fall that any of the quarterbacks were made available to the media. It is clear that at 22 years of age, Ashford is experienced with the media. His answers are not lacking in verbiage, and there is no having to pull answers out of him in response to questions, as he displays an undeniable self-confidence.
He speaks often of adversity throughout the college journey, even mentioning that there were times when he was not allowed (by a coach/coaching staff) to play his best. “At the end of the day, I’m thankful I went through it. It taught me a lot about myself and what I can and can’t handle.”
He was told about Dickert’s looking for a quarterback to take command. He said he had taken the quiet approach when he first got to Wake Forest. “Coming in somewhere new, you don’t want to be somebody where you talk first.” He said it was about feeling his energy before he started talking. Ashford said from there, the goal was for his teammates to see his work ethic and his taking every rep at practice like it was a game rep. “Then I become the verbal leader. You know, I’ve been able to step into that role now. These guys have gotten comfortable with me, gotten to know me.”
Feeling His Dad’s Presence
His Wake Forest debut also marks the beginning of his final college step. It will be his first game without his dad. “He was really my biggest supporter,” Ashford said. “He wanted to meet this team and just be here so bad. I that he can’t.” But Ashford said he still feels the presence of the man who had been a part of the journey for so many years. “I feel like he’s there with me when I step onto the field every single time.” He added, “That allows me to go out there with confidence and just go out there and play and just know it’s bigger than me.”
Main Image from Tony Siracusa
